Exposing explosives: novel synthetic gene circuits for explosive detection via innovative waveguide sensing

爆炸物、新技术和专业知识的扩散增加了恐怖分子逃避我们在英国出入境口岸现有防范措施的可能性。目前探测爆炸物的方法还有很多不足之处。为了允许在“现场”进行分析，迫切需要开发现场测试。还需要检测军事场所的爆炸物污染。在军事训练场上，由于弹药的不完全爆炸，有毒的炸药残留物被释放到环境中。由于炸药是有毒的，因此国防部必须考虑这些物质的命运和运输机制以及对陆地环境的后续影响。关于高能材料的运输和命运的基准数据的可用性将支持预测和建模，使国防部能够使用最佳管理实践来管理军事基地。所获得的结果将提供潜在的成本节约，因为这种知识将减轻污染和减轻今后清理作业的需要。为了应对这些挑战，我们的目标是开发新型廉价传感器，以快速有效地探测爆炸物。我们打算建造一个原理验证的基于细胞的传感器，细胞对TNT炸药有特定的反应，并产生一个由光学装置检测到的信号。这需要设计一种基因调控蛋白，专门结合TNT。TNT结合的调节复合体然后结合到报告基因的启动子区域，导致碱性磷酸酶的表达，这种酶被分泌出微生物细胞。分泌的酶然后激活荧光化合物，然后使用光波导传感器检测该信号。开发一种专门识别爆炸物的基因调控元件将导致朝着与安全和防务领域密切相关的生物传感器发展的阶段性变化。

The proliferation of explosives, new technologies, and expertise increases the potential for terrorists to evade our existing countermeasures at points of entry to and exit from the UK. Present methods for the detection of explosives leave much to be desired. To allow analysis to occur in the 'field' there is an urgent need for the development of on-site testing. There is also a need to detect explosives pollution on military sites. Toxic explosives residues are released into the environment on military training ranges as a result of incomplete detonation of munitions. As ecplosives are toxic it is therefore essential that the MoD consider the fate and transport mechanisms and the subsequent impact of these materials on the terrestrial environment. The availability of benchmark data regarding the transport and fate of the energetic materials will support predictions and modeling to enable the MoD to use best management practices for the stewardship of military sites. The results obtained will provide potential cost savings, since such knowledge will mitigate contamination and alleviate the need for future clean-up operations.To address these challenge, we are aiming to develop novel inexpensive sensors to rapidly and effectively detect explosives. We intend to construct a proof-of-principle cell-based sensor where the cells specifically respond to the explosive TNT and produce a signal that is detected by an optical device. This requires engineering a genetic regulatory protein that specifically binds TNT. The TNT bound regulatory complex then binds to the promoter region of a reporter gene resulting in the expression of an enzyme alkaline phosphatase which is secreted out of the microbial cell. The secreted enzyme then activates a fluorescent compound and this signal is then detected using an optical waveguide sensor. The development of a genetic regulatory element that specifically recognises explosives would result in a step-change towards the development of a biosensor with strong relevance to the security and defence area.